Dengue Ongoing Research Developments and Prospects

Dengue is a disease causing grave health problems worldwide. Scientists across the globe are focusing not just on understanding how the dengue virus causes the disease but also to find an appropriate vaccine for the disease. Dengue, also known as dengue fever, is a viral disease transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. As more is being researched about the effects of the disease, the scientists hope to find a better cure or vaccine for it. Recent dengue research also aims to provide better scrutiny to limit the spread of dengue epidemics.
A basic research on the disease is being carried out to understand how the dengue virus is transmitted and how it infects cells and causes disease. Such Dengue pipeline research insights will help Pharma companies and Biotech companies to manufacture a suitable vaccine and also improvise the drugs currently available in the market.
This type of basic research explores many facets of dengue viral biology, like understanding the interactions between the virus and humans and studies of how the dengue virus replicates itself.
There is no vaccine currently available against dengue. Research and clinical trials to produce the dengue vaccine is in progress. It is challenging to make a vaccine against the disease. This is because there are four different serotypes of the dengue virus. Thus, a vaccine effective against all the four serotypes is to be devised by the scientists.
There are approximately six vaccine candidates under examination in clinical trial. The vaccine candidate under trial lately is at the most advanced clinical development stage. It involves the use of live recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine. This has been evaluated as a 3-dose series on a 0/6/12 month schedule in Phase III clinical studies and has been submitted for registration in several endemic countries. http://www.who.int/immunization/research/development/dengue_vaccines/en/. The growing global epidemic of dengue is of mounting concern, and a safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed. WHO expects vaccines to be an integrated part of the Global dengue prevention and control strategy (2012-2020).